Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
30
“Won’t Be Watching”: People Accuse Disney Of Being “Cowards” After ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Change
Another Disney remake, another controversy. Fans of the animated studio are taking issue with the redesign of a character from Lilo & Stitch in the upcoming live-action film.
After the trailer was released, director Dean Fleischer Camp posted a video answering fans’ questions about the film.
One of the characters people focused on was antagonist Pleakley, who is on a mission to hunt Stitch after the blue alien experiment escapes to Earth and lands in Hawaii.
Highlights
- The Disney Lilo & Stitch live-action remake will feature a change in the appearance of the antagonist, Pleakley.
- Director Fleischer Camp said he “tried” to have the character wear women’s clothing, as Pleakley did in the original film.
- Pleakley, an alien, disguises himself as a female tourist to blend in with humans while attempting to capture Stitch in Hawaii.
To succeed in his mission and go unnoticed among humans, Agent Pleakley disguises himself as a female tourist, wearing dresses and wigs.
Unlike in the original 2002 cartoon, both Agent Pleakley and Dr. Jumba Jookiba, another antagonist, are dressed in men’s clothing in the new trailer.
RELATED:
Disney fans are slamming the animation studio for changing a character’s look in the Lilo & Stitch remake
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
Responding to a comment that read “How dare they ruin Pleakley’s disguise like that,” director Fleischer Camp revealed: “I have had people message me, ‘Why is Pleakley not wearing a dress?’ And I just want to say, I tried… I tried.”
He also shared a sketch of his initial concept for the one-eyed extraterrestrial character, depicting it wearing a red wig, a long floral dress, and sandals.
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
In the comments, people accused Disney of rejecting a faithful adaptation for political reasons.
“When he said he tried, he means Disney said no. Given the political climate, it’s not shocking Disney wanted no part. Sad, but I won’t blame the director. I’ll blame Disney,” one viewer wrote.
Another said: “If Disney is afraid to include drag, and you recognize that as shameful, why go?”
“Disney is such cowards if they don’t include Pleakley in a wig and dress,” a third agreed. “We’re really regressing.”
Director Dean Fleischer Camp suggested he wasn’t allowed to include Agent Pleakley, one of the villains, dressed in women’s clothing
Image credits: Image credits: Disney / YouTube
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
“Thank you for trying to give us the Auntie Pleakley we deserve. ❤️ I’m not blaming you at all for Disney being Disney, but as a member of the LGBTQIA community, it’s very depressing. Especially now,” shared someone else.
Another person asked: “I have a question. What’s up with casting a non-native Hawaiian in the very few kanaka characters like Nani?”
The live-action remake will hit theaters on May 23
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
@marceltheshellwshoeson#disney#liloandstitch#animation♬ original sound – Marcel the Shell
While Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, who plays Lilo’s older sister Nani, is Hawaiian, some people have accused Disney of whitewashing and colorism, arguing that the role should have gone to a Native Hawaiian with a darker skin tone.
Siena Agudong is a mixed-race woman born and raised on Kaua’i to a Caucasian mother and a Filipino father.
The rest of the cast includes Chris Sanders (who voices Stitch, reprising his 2002 role), Maia Kealoha (Lilo), Zach Galifianakis (Dr. Jumba Jookiba), and Billy Magnussen (Agent Pleakley).
In the film, Agent Pleakley and Dr. Jumba Jookiba are two aliens who disguise themselves as women to blend in with humans while trying to capture Stitch
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube
Disney had to recast Kahiau Machado, who was to play David Kawena, Nani’s surfer boyfriend, when he was found to have used a racial slur on Instagram and Spotify. The role was then given to Kaipo Dudoit.
Fleischer Camp previously directed the stop-motion film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film in 2023.
The movie previously faced controversy when Kahiau Machado, who was originally cast as Nani’s boyfriend, was found to have used a racial slur
View this post on Instagram
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube
His revelations come after Disney was criticized for using CGI (computer-generated imagery) to create Snow White’s seven dwarfs in the live-action remake instead of casting actors with dwarfism.
Amid the controversy, actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism and has played disabled characters throughout his career, called the film a “backward story.”
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
In response, Disney stated that they had made the decision “to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film” and that they had consulted “with members of the dwarfism community.”
“Given the political climate, it’s not shocking Disney wanted no part,” one person wrote
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube
The film failed to attract audiences, reportedly grossing $145 million worldwide, falling far short of the $270 million it cost to make.
As per the Hollywood Reporter, Disney paused the live-action remake of its 2010 animated Rapunzel musical Tangled after the underwhelming release of Snow White.
Tangled‘s pause follows the departure of several key executives who had helped shape Disney’s live-action strategy.
Image credits: imdb
Still, the animation studio is set to unveil a live-action version of the beloved Moana next year, with Dwayne Johnson reprising the role of Maui. The animated sequel, Moana 2, grossed $1 billion and became the third-highest-grossing film of 2024.
The Lilo & Stitch remake will hit theaters on May 23.
One person said they were “bored” with live-action remakes and preferred watching the original films again
Poll Question
Thanks! Check out the results:
Newsletter
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
What do you think ?
BookFanatic 1 week ago
I have no desire whatsoever to see it, yet I'm going on opening night. I'm doing it for a friend. Her daughter--who shares my birthday--passed away and Lilo & Stitch was her favorite movie. So I will smile and be excited and wear my new Stitch tshirt. For them.
winterwidow87 1 week ago (edited)
I am watching it for a little girl who is in the pediatric cardiology unit i work in, waiting for a heart transplant. She is obsessed with Lilo and Stitch but obviously can't go see it, so i'll watch it for her and then i am gonna tell her everything about it. I am sure your friend's daughter would appreciate you doing this for her.
Load More Replies...
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 week ago
Augh, the original is one of the best ones and it’s in large part because of the style of the animation. Honestly, these kind of alien characters should stay in cartoon form.
painttheyellowsubgreen 1 week ago
what I would have loved to see, since they actually did good work on most of the aliens, is a live action intro story for the worlds, and aliens, the culture, the society, and government that we got glimpses of in Lilo and Stitch. Like to save earth from an unscrupulous galactic government faction that wants to revoke Earths protected status so they can take all it's resources, or destroy it to build whatever. And Stich has to take Lilo to the galactic equivalent of the Department of Animal Control to register Lilo as his pet and the earth as her nature habitat. There's a time limit for as a plot device, for suspense (of course). And Nani, David, Agent Bubbles, and Pleakley (definitely in drag) all come along to keep Lilo safe from being kidnapped, and delayed and at some point there's a daring rescue of the group by Captain Gantu. And he's grumbling that they're incompetent and Stich is still an abomination, then he yells at Stitch not to touch that!
Load More Replies... BookFanatic 1 week ago
I have no desire whatsoever to see it, yet I'm going on opening night. I'm doing it for a friend. Her daughter--who shares my birthday--passed away and Lilo & Stitch was her favorite movie. So I will smile and be excited and wear my new Stitch tshirt. For them.
winterwidow87 1 week ago (edited)
I am watching it for a little girl who is in the pediatric cardiology unit i work in, waiting for a heart transplant. She is obsessed with Lilo and Stitch but obviously can't go see it, so i'll watch it for her and then i am gonna tell her everything about it. I am sure your friend's daughter would appreciate you doing this for her.
Load More Replies... and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 week ago
Augh, the original is one of the best ones and it’s in large part because of the style of the animation. Honestly, these kind of alien characters should stay in cartoon form.
painttheyellowsubgreen 1 week ago
what I would have loved to see, since they actually did good work on most of the aliens, is a live action intro story for the worlds, and aliens, the culture, the society, and government that we got glimpses of in Lilo and Stitch. Like to save earth from an unscrupulous galactic government faction that wants to revoke Earths protected status so they can take all it's resources, or destroy it to build whatever. And Stich has to take Lilo to the galactic equivalent of the Department of Animal Control to register Lilo as his pet and the earth as her nature habitat. There's a time limit for as a plot device, for suspense (of course). And Nani, David, Agent Bubbles, and Pleakley (definitely in drag) all come along to keep Lilo safe from being kidnapped, and delayed and at some point there's a daring rescue of the group by Captain Gantu. And he's grumbling that they're incompetent and Stich is still an abomination, then he yells at Stitch not to touch that!
Load More Replies... You May Like “Isn’t Really Worth It”: Dad Sparks Debate Over Price Of One-Day Family Trip To Disney World Obituary Of Former Child Star Who Passed Away At 24 Leaves People Stunned Jon Hamm’s "Vile" Past At University Resurfaces After He Blasts Reporter For Asking About It
Renan Duarte
Donata Leskauskaite
Lei RV
Related on Bored Panda
21
23